Bureau of Transportation StatisticsU.S. Department of Transportation
Highway congestion is an escalating economic, social, andpolitical problem as delays on freeways and arterial streetsand the costs associated with these delays steadilyincrease. While it is easy to observe congestion, it is verydifficult to measure. Without proper data to assess theeffectiveness of individual projects, there is no way to pri-oritize projects, choose between competing alternatives, orjustify proposed funding levels. To help solve the problem,the Bureau of Transportation Statistics is examining howwe measure road congestion with the goal of developingimproved measurements that will lead to effective conges-tion-relief programs and policies at the national level.
Current estimates show congestion is agrowing problem.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in its 2002Conditions and Performance Report to Congress reportedthat the additional time required to make a trip duringthe congested peak period, compared to nonpeak times,increased from 37% in 1990 to 51% in 2000 (Figure 1).As the numbers of vehicles and the miles those vehiclestravel outstrip rates of new road construction and the iden-tification and implementation of effective congestion relief projects, it is no surprise that congestion is getting worse.Between 1990 and 2000, vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) inthe United States increased 28.2%, registered vehicles17.3%, and VMT per driver 12.4%. During that same peri-od, highway lane miles increased only 2.1% (Figure 2).Numerous measures have been implemented both to reducedemand (HOV lanes, increased transit alternatives, telecom-muting, etc.) and to use existing supply more efficiently(traffic management systems, reduction in incident responsetimes, improved signal timing, etc.), but they have not beenenough to close the supply and demand gap.
How should congestion be measured?
For a measure of congestion to be useful, it must providea way to judge the effectiveness of congestion relief proj-ects. Estimates must be sensitive to changes in the capac-ity and operational characteristics of the highway net-work that affect congestion. The procedure must be ableto account for the impacts of a wide variety of conges-tion relief projects, whether those projects already existor are proposed. Current efforts to measure congestion,such as the congestion indices published by the TexasTransportation Institute
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, focus on estimating directmotorist impacts, using traffic models to estimate averagespeeds based on traffic flows. The estimated speeds arethen used to calculate motorist delay and costs associatedwith the congestion. Indirect impacts of congestion arenot included.A comprehensive congestion measure, and its associatedcosts, should cover both major dimensions of conges-
May 2003
Better Road Congestion Measures are Needed
Issue Brief
Number 4
Road congestion is growing worse as demandoutstrips new roadway construction and otherefforts to increase traffic flows.
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Better ways to measure congestion are needed toeffectively address the problem.
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Actual measures of speeds and delays are key tounderstanding congestion.
1990 1995 20000102030405060Percent
Figure 1. Additional Peak Period Travel Time Dueto Congestion
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